James Kingston started in the best way possible on Tuesday as he aims to defend his 2019 title at the SA Senior Open. His round of five under 67 saw him take lead on the opening round of the picturesque Plettenberg Bay Country Club.
Hosted by Bitou Municipality, the 2021 edition of the SA Senior Open teed off after a one-year hiatus owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tournament is the pinnacle for golfers competing on the Sunshine Senior Tour with a prize fund of R500,000. The tour itself features some of the best golfers to have played on the Sunshine Tour in recent memory and is exclusively for golfers over the age of 50.
The opening day began in warm but breezy conditions with Kingston setting the tone, firing six birdies and a two-shot eagle on the 14th to end the day a on five-under 67. Kingston has won 11 times on the Sunshine Tour, four times on the Asian Tour, twice on the European Tour and has four Senior Tour titles to his name.
Durban-born Doug Mcguigan, who won the 2020 Sunshine Senior Tour Order of Merit, ended the day in second with a two-under 70 in a near perfect day which saw him make only one bogey. Roger Wessels meanwhile came in at third following a topsy-turvy 71 which saw four bogeys and five birdies.
The back nine and afternoon conditions seemed to be kinder to the golfers, with 14 golfers making par or under, with only Kingston scoring under par on the front nine.
A number of star names have missed out on the 2021 tournament due to the pandemic. The event still features a strong lineup of champions from yesteryear though, including notable names such as Andre Cruse, Chris Williams and Nic Henning.
The first day of the tournament saw the pros playing in a pro-am format with 65 professionals playing alongside 65 amateurs. Day two will continue in the same format with Thursday and Friday featuring only the pros.
Day two tees off at 8am on Wednesday with low winds and overcast conditions. Catch all the daily highlights of the SA Senior Open on the Sunshine Senior Tour Facebook page.
